Today's Opinions

The tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., prompted many, if not most, schools systems across the country to re-evaluate their safety plans.
It also has prompted calls from some — including people in Roane County — to dedicate a school resource officer at every school.
Resource is a key word here. If resources were no object, it would be fine to assign an officer to every one of Roane County’s 17 elementary, middle and high schools.
We could be even safer and assign an officer to each and every classroom.

Recently, a reader commented that it might be less expensive to taxpayers to just  bail out nonviolent inmates at the county jail rather than pay for food, medical care, lodging and security to hold them for weeks on end.
We can sympathize.
Often times, it feels like law-abiding, taxpayers are the real people getting punished  when it comes to the costs of building and maintaining jails.
We are glad county officials are willing to look more closely at alternatives to lengthy incarcerations.

By KEN PAULSON
President, First Amendment Center
When a Minnesota man felt his family was treated shabbily by a neurologist, he made sure the world knew about it.

Dennis Laurion posted caustic reviews of Minnesota neurologist David McKee, saying he was insensitive to his father’s needs and claiming that a nurse called the doctor “a real tool.”

This angered Mc-Kee, who offered his own prescription: a libel suit.